Change 4 Life Sports Clubs

Change 4 Life Sports Clubs focuses on building a network of new school sport clubs based on seven Olympic and Paralympic sports. The sports are badminton, boccia, fencing, handball, table tennis, volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

This new network of sports clubs aims to attract young people who might be inspired by the 2012 Games to take up and participate in a range of Olympic and Paralympic Sports.

By building this network of school clubs on school and college sites, and as an integral part of a school to club framework, School Sport Partnerships will be further supported to engage those not currently taking part in sport out of school hours.

These clubs will not only attract and engage young people but will also develop a sense of belonging within a club setting, and encourage the regular participation that is associated with future community club membership and lifelong participation.

Young people will be at the heart of these clubs, not only will they have a say in the selected sports, but the aim is that at least 50% of the club workforce will be young people (organisers, coaches, officials etc). It is hoped that these clubs will help SSPs align and maximise other elements of their PESSYP work. Each School Sport Partnership will establish six school based clubs including any FE Colleges within the Partnership and must select at least three sports. Nationally this will mean the establishment of 3000 new school sport clubs.

Club Characteristics

• Clubs are ‘owned’ by young people and the school
• Clubs happen once a week
• Clubs takes place regularly at the same time and place beyond the current OSHL provision (not replacing current provision)
• They will be planned and delivered across the whole year
• Clubs will be in a single sport
• The club will have subscription and affiliation/membership
• Clubs will include coaching and an element of competition
• There will be opportunities for young people to lead and volunteer
• Each club will have a brand/name

Target groups: 13-19 year olds

Issues that this programme tackles:

• Engaging and increasing participation among those young people, not yet engaged or only partly engaged in sport
• Building a network of modern new School Sport Clubs
• Increasing the 3rd hour opportunities nationally

Resources:

For further information and to support Change for Life Clubs in your school visit the Youth Sport Trust website.